Only a few civil engineering projects would bypass the need for pipes. Though the material options for pipes are now vast, only steel pipes will suffice for the high strength need in these projects. Moreover, steel pipes are durable and will suffice for the transportation of virtually all liquids and gases.
But the key element that makes steel pipes the go-to solution in civil engineering is its ability to hold up to modern pipe laying techniques. In the past, the only method of pipe laying a steel pipe company would do was open trench laying. Nowadays, however, steel pipes are the leading option for most modern techniques in civil engineering.
The following are the common laying techniques for which steel pipes will be your best choice.
Horizontal Flush Drilling
This is the pipe installation method preferred in densely populated regions. Here, a pilot hole will be drilled along a three or two-dimensionally curved line. This line is located between the drill’s entry point and the side opposite an obstacle, which the installation wants to cross.
After drilling, the hole is widened to accommodate your pipe’s diameter, and a pipe string pulled into the enlarged hole pulling along the pipe. Other than minimal disruptions in the pipe’s installation path, horizontal flush drilling is eco-friendly and has lower construction expenses compared to the open trench method.
Ploughing
This is also an eco-friendly pipe installation method, which is used for pipes of up to DN 600 based on the pipe’s length, involved pulling force and soil type. A steel rope winch is drawn through the soil using a special tractor. The tractor’s share, which will be adjusted to the desired pipe laying level, will furrow through the installation path and pull a pipe string into the soil.
The soil displaced as the pipe string is laid automatically deposits itself when the string is in place. Ploughing, therefore, will have a minimum impact on the land and is a fast process of pipe installation.
Dynamic Ramming
This technique can be used for the installation of steel pipes with lengths of 80m and diameters of 4,000mm. The method uses a pneumatic cylindrical-shaped rammer to ram through the ground removing the soil through air or water pressure and laying a pipe in its path. It is a simple technology that will suffice for the installation of steel pipes in almost any project and causes minimal surface disruption.
J-Lay Process
This is used for the laying of steel pipes under water. Individual pipes are first welded to a string, which is then placed in the water while being trailed by a vessel. As the string is laid, it follows a 90-degree curve from a horizontal to vertical end position on a sea bed; hence, its characteristic J-shape and name.
Most pipe materials would not withstand the rigours involved in the above pipe laying methods. With steel pipes, however, there is no risk of pipe cracks irrespective of the technique you used to lay your pipes. Moreover, steel pipes have various protective finishes boosting their strength and fracture resistance in a range of high-strength applications like those typical in civil engineering.
